Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all.
Rated M for a reason.
Chpt 41 Myth and Legend
BPOV
Aro's mouth pops open to make a response but anything he was going to say is drowned out by a high pitched wail.
Off to the left a diminutive blonde vampire is bent over double, his arms wrapped around his waist, keening.
Jane's twin, Alex, Aled, whatever.
Suddenly propelled into action by the kind of rage I can identify with, he charges forwards, launching himself at me with murder in his eyes.
I drop my physical shield an' The Major steps forward catching him easily around the throat. For a moment he swings wildly in The Major's clutches like a crazy life size pendulum an' then, as a sense of self-preservation takes over, he begins to flail around wildly.
The Major holds him at arm's length, regarding him dispassionately.
"Alec." He comments, as if he's just identified a species of bird at a wildlife sanctuary.
"Not friendly." I murmur.
Nodding The Major snaps his tiny neck like a twig an' then tosses his body into the fire.
The tongue of flame it creates bathes the whole space in hellish light which The Major's wild eyes reflect back at me.
"Darlin'?" He asks politely.
"Miss Swan!" Aro snarls. "You will regret this."
Not as much as you will, my creepy little friend.
Easily I peel my shield back around the huge vampire who had Jonathan's head, nodding to my mate when he's free.
The Major rolls his head an' neck easily an' settles his hat further over his eyes. Stepping away from me he makes an insolent come hither gesture at the vampire with the fingers of his right hand.
The dark haired vampire grins an' turns to Aro silently asking permission.
"Go ahead Felix." Aro consents.
The giant stalks forwards an' he and The Major begin circling each other like prize fighters. While they size each other up several other members of the Guard attempt to join them but find themselves still restrained by my shield.
Secure in the knowledge that nothing else can happen I keep my eyes fixed on my mate as he prepares to dispense some justice of his own.
It is something of a shock to see a vampire that much bigger than The Major but where he is poetry in motion Felix is more like an aircraft carrier manoeuvring in port. Nevertheless my concern for my mate causes me to start breathing, there might not be much chance of Felix landing one on him but my god if he does he will do some serious damage. He's like a broadsword to The Major's épée.
Done sizing each other up they come together with an almighty crash which sets the walls of the old building quivering around us.
Felix's oversize arms close around The Major's torso in a seemingly unbreakable grip, as he begins to lift him off the floor The Major jerks his head back an' with a wicked grin slams it forwards into Felix's jaw.
Two teeth leap free an' clatter away to the floor as the giant drops him reflexively. Instantly whipping around The Major kicks out at him karate style an' Felix staggers back a few steps but still manages to swing his massive fist. It misses my swiftly ducking mate but swipes the hat clean off his head.
Immediately The Major launches himself at Felix's chest an' the two of them fall to the floor rolling around for a moment like a couple of barroom brawlers. Except that these are two vampires, snapping an' snarling at each other with deadly teeth.
Using his tree trunk like thighs Felix powers to his feet almost tossing The Major off to one side. Lithe as a panther my mate twists landing nimbly on the balls of his feet already waiting for the hulking vampire's next move. Despite a few new bites he is smiling broadly, an excited gleam in his black eyes.
Felix rushes The Major who dodges to the side easily, swinging back to face him just in time to duck a right hook but moving instead directly into path of an oncoming left.
I gasp as Felix's fist lands on The Major's jaw with a sound like a sonic boom. He staggers backwards an' I get ready to throw my shield around him. Just as I am about to, Felix launches himself forwards with far more speed than I've seen yet, expecting as I do, to land on a dazed and unprepared opponent. Instead it's The Major's fist he lands on. With another eardrum rattling bang Felix's huge body jerks backwards an' sails across the floor.
The Major roars in fury an' charges after him, landing on him before he can regain his feet. With a savage snarl he sinks his teeth into Felix's shoulder, partially ripping his head away from his body. Desperately Felix closes his hands around The Major's throat an' begins to squeeze.
The Major returns the favour, venom from his snarling mouth dripping onto Felix's face, someone's neck gives an ominous creak but just as I am about to step in The Major's powerful shoulders flex an' the giants head breaks free an' bounces across the floor towards me, I put my foot out and stop it unconsciously.
Smiling The Major rises to his feet an' very slowly and very deliberately dismembers Felix's body, dropping the parts disdainfully in the fire until only his head remains, resting silently beside Jonathan's.
When he's done an' every eye is still glued to him he casually retrieves his hat before raising himself to his full height an' ripping the t-shirt away from his magnificent body with a deep, vicious growl.
"Who wants to be next?" He asks as its echo dies away.
I fight back an extremely inappropriate urge to shout 'Me!' an' wait to see what happens.
"An interesting tactic." Aro observes calmly. "Take us out one at a time, as many as possible before your shields collapse. Not very noble however."
I throw my head back an' laugh, filled with a bittersweet memory of Pete.
"Nobody ever said The Major fights fair, just that he always wins." I drawl.
The Major gives me a small bow an' then turns to face The Volturi.
"You." He decides, pointing to two cloaked Guards champing at the bit to join the fight.
I release them quickly an' step forwards to join my mate.
These two are dealt with rapidly an' efficiently, from the gentle poking at my bendy mental shield I assume that one of them has a gift but whatever it was we will never know.
The fire climbs higher.
I would never, in a million years, have imagined myself being this cold blooded. Love, survival, betrayal, pain, rage an' vampirism certainly change a girl.
In methodical silence we work our way through Aro's Guard while he watches us impassively. The rigid discipline that Gus described, a little proudly, is starting to break down. Trapped inside my shield they are snarling, growling an' throwing themselves against their prison walls. An' though it's exactly the same reaction to the inevitability of it I would be having, have been having these last few months, I can find no pity or mercy. It's either them or us an' I have already chosen.
Ten Guard members in I gradually become aware that I'm getting tired. My shield around the furious an' viciously snarling Volturi begins to stutter an' die.
"Next." The Major orders, practically rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
Sensing my hesitation he turns to me with a look of understanding on his beautiful face, once again allowing me to see his emotions there. "Let it go darlin'." He murmurs. "Let 'em all go an' we'll finish this the old fashioned way, for Gus."
With a sigh I let everything go except the mental shield around my mate, whatever happens I want to feel him.
"Emmett!" He roars. "It's now or never!"
Without waiting he surges forwards heading directly for Aro an' his ludicrous 'travel throne'.
An' as so often seems to happen around me, all hell breaks loose.
Three casually dressed but deadly serious looking vampires are closing in on me when an enormous brown haired bear of a vampire, whooping like a schoolboy, crashes into them scattering them in all directions like skittles. A golden haired goddess follows in his wake an' immediately sinks her teeth into an exposed neck.
Free, I whirl on my heels an' start making my way after The Major.
From the other end of the warehouse six more vampires are sprinting across the floor an' crashing into the remaining Volturi ranks from behind. The noise is indescribable in such a confined space an' the structure groans an' shivers alarmingly.
Relieved I dart forwards, there are more than enough vampires on The Major's tail already without having to worry about any more.
I frantically rip them away from his back, flipping my shield up in a few quick flashes. Shrieking fills the air as body parts are randomly severed, sadly there is no major damage but it is enough to halt their attack on my mate.
As they turn their attention to me I just have time to see The Major close his big hands around Aro's neck, his momentum bearing, vampire, throne an' bodyguard to the floor.
The first one to reach me gets a Bella Whitlock roundhouse punch to the jaw an' falls away to the side with an endearing look of surprise on his face. Guards two an' three pause slightly to re-evaluate an' two gets his legs swept out from under him while three receives my elbow in his solar plexus and is then swung over my head directly into the waiting fire.
Number two gets his arms around my legs an' pulls me down, I kick frantically as his mouth opens an' his sharp teeth descend on my right calf. Astonishingly I am saved by the second floor of the warehouse deciding to join us on the first with an earth shattering crash.
Ouch. Grabbing a chunk of concrete floor as it bounces past me I bring it down on two's head with as much force as I can, immediately he lets go of my legs to protect himself. I lift myself up in a shower of rubble an' pound it down onto him again an' again until it crumbles an' he stops moving. Dropping my impromptu weapon I struggle up through the wreckage an' regain my feet.
Around me is a sea of masonry an' twisted metal from which other vampires are beginning to emerge. The fire is still burning an' in its glow is a movie maker's dream of bombed out war zone.
In front of me another vampire springs to his feet from the rubble, a dark haired, red eyed, mirror image of Jasper. Right down to the intricately woven battle scars covering the visible parts of his body.
We stare at each other wordlessly for a moment an' then he grins like a pirate.
"Pleased to meet you Ma'am." He purrs, winking at me an' then diving on the closest recovering Guard.
Strangely shaken I am about to lunge after him when a deep bass roar sends tremors through the wounded building an' The Major surges to his feet, shrugging off debris like its water, Aro's severed head clutched in his triumphantly upraised fist.
Oh my faulty libido. I know what's wrong with this picture but he is truly magnificent. Half naked, amazing body glistening with venom an' streaked with brick dust, hat pushed back on his beautiful golden head. Black eyes glittering dangerously, perfect lips drawn back from lethal venom dripping teeth. Myth an' legend made terrifying flesh. The Major in all his glory.
He's so gonna get it later.
A deathly hush falls an' all movement ceases as he casts his eyes commandingly over the scene.
"Oh pack it in, drama queen." A familiar voice drawls.